(the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her")

3. (2) start, starting

(a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning); "he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was one of their best linemen")

4. (1) startle, jump, start

(a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start")

5. (1) beginning, start, commencement

(the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations")

6. start, starting line, scratch, scratch line

(a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game)

7. starting signal, start

(a signal to begin (as in a race); "the starting signal was a green light"; "the runners awaited the start")

8. start, head start

(the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race); "with an hour's start he will be hard to catch")

(take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now")

2. (45) begin, lead off, start, commence

(set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life")

3. (29) depart, part, start, start out, set forth, set off, set out, take off

(leave; "The family took off for Florida")

4. (17) begin, start

(have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000")

5. (16) originate, initiate, start

(bring into being; "He initiated a new program"; "Start a foundation")

6. (11) start, start up, embark on, commence

(get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack")

7. (7) startle, jump, start

(move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room")

8. (7) start, start up

(get going or set in motion; "We simply could not start the engine"; "start up the computer")

9. (5) start, go, get going

(begin or set in motion; "I start at eight in the morning"; "Ready, set, go!")

10. (2) start, take up

(begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job; "Take up a position"; "start a new job")

11. (1) start

(play in the starting lineup)

12. begin, start

(have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony")

13. begin, start

(begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar"; "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started physics in 10th grade")